By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

BROWNSVILLE − Both Brownsville Veterans Memorial and San Antonio Reagan made convincing cases in the contest to decide which team played better during the Brownsville Independent School District Showcase Tournament Thursday at Brownsville Veterans.

But ultimately, despite plenty of opportunities, neither side was able to find the back of the net before the final whistle.

“Whenever you play against a good team that’s solid fundamentally and tactically with what they’re trying to do, it really forces you to try to figure out ways for your kids to try and do their jobs the best they should,” Chargers coach Alberto Vasquez said.

Vasquez said his team had more energy in the first half after a quick turnaround following their afternoon tilt with Los Fresnos.

“(In the second half) had three kids cramp up, which usually never happens,” Vasquez said. “Because of the fact we played two full games in such a short amount of time, it really took a toll on us.”

Reagan took the first corner kick of the game at the 25-minute mark of the first half but didn’t make a serious threat to score.

Brownsville Veterans’ Humberto Garcia had a chance on a through ball with 17 minutes remaining in the first half, but Reagan goalkeeper Mariano Esnayra dove in to snatch the ball away before Garcia could attempt a shot.

“(Garcia) stepped in because some other guys weren’t available,” Vasquez said. “He proved he could come off the bench or be a starter and really help out.”

The Chargers nearly struck again with 12 minutes to go in the half, Humberto Sosa headed a cross from Cesar Cepeda that went over the crossbar.

At the 9:30 mark of the first half, Paco Domenech took a free kick for Reagan that hooked left of the goal.

With just under five minutes to play in the first half, Esnayra vacated his goal and despite putting two shots on net, the Chargers were unable to convert on one of their best scoring opportunities of the game.

Shortly thereafter, Garcia and Sosa nearly connected for a goal that was thwarted by the Esnayra at the last second.

Though both sides were goalless at the half, Reagan began to press and push the ball after spending much of the first half on its heels.

“We played a completely different formation tonight than we have been,” Rattlers coach Gilbert Villarreal said. “We were really just trying to stay organized. … In the second half, I think they understood that a little bit better. I think it was pretty even.”

A Reagan corner taken by Pato Tenorio at the 19-minute mark of the second half was cleared out by the Brownsville Veterans back line. After a Reagan free kick from inside the box, Chargers goalie Alex Gomez made a diving save to keep the game scoreless with 16 minutes to play in the second half.

Brownsville Veterans cleared another corner from Reagan in a half spent mostly in its own defensive end, in a reversal of the first half. The Chargers went on a counterattack with five minutes to play but couldn’t generate any clean shots. The closest opportunity for Brownsville Veterans was Rolando Mendez’s header off of a corner with five seconds to go that was wide of the goal by about a yard.

By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

LOS FRESNOS – Porter escaped with a 1-0 win over Los Fresnos Tuesday night at Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium thanks to the strong play of its midfield in the game’s early stages and a little bit of luck toward the end.

Porter coach Jose Espitia said he is pleased with his team’s chemistry and felt Los Fresnos gave his squad a good test.

“(Los Fresnos) came out with a lot of intensity,” Espitia said. “We like to play our nondistrict games away from home, because you have the extra pressure of playing in someone else’s house. To put the kids in that kind of situation is a good thing because that’s what we go through in district and during the playoffs.”

Porter notched the game’s only goal at the 32-minute mark of the first half when sophomore striker Xavier Mateos launched a ball into the top left corner off of a long rebound off a shot by sophomore midfielder Brandon Montes following a rush by junior midfielder Erick Esparza.

“I was following the play in case there was a rebound,” Mateos said. “I got the rebound and I just found the space to take the shot over the defense.”

Los Fresnos was denied on two point-blank chances that occurred in the game’s opening minutes – the first of which was deflected out of harm’s way by the Porter back line – and another on a shot that floated above the crossbar with less than 17 minutes to go in the first half.

The Cowboys led 1-0 at the end of the first half.

The Falcons continued to make a push for an equalizer in the second half and were active around the net, but failed to break through.

A Porter foul resulted in a free kick awarded to Andderson Rocha just outside the box that was deflected by a Porter defender, one of several close chances that took place at or around the 25-minute mark.

Marco Moreno drew a foul and Los Fresnos penalty kick at the 5-minute mark for the Falcons’ best scoring opportunity of the night.

Job Esquivel took the penalty for Los Fresnos and drilled it high above the goal and off of the scoreboard.

“You wanna put away those chances,” Los Fresnos coach Michael Miller said. “You have to at least make the goalie make a save and we didn’t do that. But the kids battled, they played really hard, and Porter is an awesome team. … It’s the type of game you’re going to see in the playoffs.”

Esquivel and Humberto Trinidad handled the ball for the majority of the Falcons’ possessions and helped to facilitate the Los Fresnos attack, but goalkeeper Isaac Acevedo and the Cowboys kept the home side off the scoresheet.

In an equally impressive display while turning in a clean sheet in the second half, Los Fresnos sophomore goalie Jasiel Jimenez, who had split playing time with starter Alexis Gonzalez, made a leaping save to deny a line drive off the boot of Porter’s Rodolfo Armendariz.

“I wanted to play both goalies today against real good competition,” Miller said. “To hold (Porter) to one goal is an accomplishment. Now we just have to score a couple of goals ourselves.”

Both Porter and Los Fresnos are scheduled to participate in the Brownsville Showcase tournament that runs from Thursday to Saturday.

By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

Brownsville Porter’s main goal heading into its 2020 season was to find an identity and replace captain Oscar Garcia.

It appears the Cowboys have found someone to fill Garcia’s shoes — Brandon Montes.

The junior midfielder scored twice during a 3-0 victory over Edinburg North in the Southmost Classic championship game Saturday at Lopez.

“We’re hoping this is going to be a confidence booster for our boys,” Porter coach Jose Espitia said. “We’ll be ready when district starts, because at the end of the day that’s what matters most.”

Porter got off to a fast start, as Montes found the back of the net off of a rebound with a left-footed shot from 20 yards out to give the Cowboys the lead one minute into the contest.

The Cougars responded with three quality chances, but all of them were denied by junior goalkeeper Isaac Acevedo.

“We caught them off guard (with an early goal),” Espitia said. “After that, they started giving us a battle.”

Five minutes later, sophomore striker Xavier Mateos doubled the lead on a counterattack to put the Cowboys firmly in control.

“(Mateos’ goal) was a morale-killer for (Edinburg North),” Espitia said. “Our guy started controlling the game and passing the ball, keeping possession of the ball.”

Three minutes into the second half, Montes drilled another long shot to put his team ahead 3-0 and diminish any hope of a late Edinburg North rally.

“It felt good (to score again),” Montes said. “We went for every ball, and we won every ball.”

Espitia noted freshman defender Jose Luis Perez was among the players who impressed him most during the offseason training and said he has the potential to make an impact as a starter this season for the Cowboys.

“He started off a little bit nervous,” Espitia said. “But he’s gaining confidence.”

It was the sixth game in three days for both finalists. The tournament was co-hosted by Lopez and Porter, and featured teams from all over the Rio Grande Valley, including Pace, Los Fresnos and McAllen High.

Laredo LBJ Laredo United, Laredo United South, and Victoria West also participated in the tournament, as did Porter’s JV Dark team, which tied its games against Laredo LBJ and Victoria West.

“Most of those kids are freshmen and sophomores, and they were playing against varsity teams,” Espitia said. “So we’re excited for the future.”

By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

Matt Maddox scored 13 points and Damian Maldonado added 11 for Brownsville Veterans Memorial as the Chargers defeated Mercedes 53-39 in front of their home crowd for the first time in 2020 to tip off District 32-5A play on Friday afternoon.

Brownsville Veterans jumped out to a 15-3 lead at the end of the first quarter, as Maldonado chipped in four points and Gerardo Castaneda had three. The staunch defensive effort in the first two periods proved to be pivotal, as the Tigers would go on to match the Chargers with 16 points in the third quarter and nine in the fourth.

Chargers coach Larry Gibson was pleased with his team’s defensive performance, as Brownsville Veterans frequently pressed Mercedes and persistently clogged passing lanes, but added he felt the offensive output from his team left much to be desired.

“It was probably the worst offensive game we’ve had all year,” Gibson said. “We didn’t move the ball, I thought we played selfish. When we missed shots we got our heads down, and I was disappointed.”

Gibson said he thought his team didn’t move the ball particularly well or shoot the ball accurately against Mercedes, but saw flashes of the passing the Chargers have come to expect from Maldonado on the perimeter.

After taking a 28-14 lead into the half, the Chargers took their largest lead of the game with 4:23 to go in the third quarter when Maldonado assisted Maddox on a 3-pointer to put the Chargers up by 14 and Maddox laid the ball up off the glass for a transition layup to put the home team up 37-21.

“We attacked too much uphill instead of downhill,” Gibson said, noting that neither team entered the bonus at the line. “The way they defend, they sag off you quite a bit and they give you the lane. We were shooting three-pointers and not attacking the lane.”

Brownsville Veterans shot 6-for-7 from the free throw line and Mercedes was 4-for-11 from the charity stripe.

Justin Closner (15 points) and Jordan Ovalle (eight points) led the way for Mercedes.

Next up on the Chargers’ 32-5A schedule is a visit to Valley View at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, the Tigers will travel to Edcouch-Elsa for a 6 p.m. district battle.

Garza, Lady Chargers roll past Lady Tigers

Lizzy Garza scored 14 points, eight of which came during the second quarter for Brownsville Veterans Memorial, as the Lady Chargers pulled away from the Mercedes Lady Tigers for a 50-27 District 32-5A victory on Friday.

“The defensive pressure once again helped us get those transition points,” Lady Chargers coach Arnold Torres said. “Lizzy is one of our quicker players, so it gives her an opportunity to score some easy buckets in transition.”

Garza displayed some of that speed and coordination when she went on a 6-0 scoring run at the end of the first half, starting with a long two-pointer extended Brownsville Veterans’ lead to 19-13. She followed that with another bucket to make it 21-13 with just under a minute to go, and she tacked on two more points from almost the exact same spot on the floor with two seconds left to give the Lady Chargers a 23-13 advantage as they headed into the locker room at the break.

The Lady Chargers made six three-point field goals and half of them came from Alexa Torres, who finished with 11 points.

Bry Buitureira knocked down a pair of treys and Juju Alvarez added a triple for Brownsville Veterans in the second half.

Torres said his team’s versatility and depth has allowed different scorers to have their moment to shine in the Brownsville Veterans system.

“One of our advantages is that every game, somebody else has stepped up,” Torres said. “Alexa came in and hit some big shots for us and those helped us get some momentum in transition on the defensive side and helped give us a little motivation.”

The Lady Chargers led 41-20 at the end of the third quarter.

Mercedes’ top scorers were Mika Vento (10 points) and Karisa Moya (seven points).

Next up for the Lady Chargers is a trip to Valley View for a District 32-5A clash at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Lady Tigers are slated to continue district play when they host Edcouch-Elsa at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

LOS FRESNOS — When her team needed her, Bry Buitereira was there yet again to answer the bell.

After Brownsville Veterans Memorial trailed by four at the end of the first half, the sophomore knocked down a pair of three-pointers to give her team a lead it would never surrender en route to a 34-29 victory in the Los Fresnos Holiday Tournament championship game on Saturday at the Los Fresnos United dome.

The Lady Chargers’ Lizzie Garza led all scorers with 14 points. Juju Alvarez (five points) was named co-MVP of the tournament alongside her teammate Alex Parchmont (three points).

Brownsville Veterans coach Arnold Torres and his team found themselves down big in the early stages of the contest, as Los Fresnos’ Ari Gallardo poured in 11 of her 13 points in the first period to give the Lady Falcons a 14-6 edge.

The Lady Chargers held the hosts scoreless in a scrappy second quarter, in which they only managed to score two baskets themselves, both from Garza. Torres said his team’s defensive effort kept them in the game, though Garza’s offensive output was also crucial.

“Our main goal is to attack the basket, and just look for the open person,” Garza said. “If we’re attacking the middle, and there’s an open girl on the bottom, (we look) to make the extra pass to get the easier layup. If there’s an open girl and they’re a good 3-point shooter, we kick it out to them.”

Brownsville Veterans’ 16-point third quarter was the key for the visitors to separate themselves, as Garza and Juju Alvarez each buried a trey, and Parchmont knocked down a floater in the lane to extend the lead to 25-18 with two minutes to play in the third quarter.

“(Parchmont) is our defensive person, she goes out there and creates things for us on the defensive end,” Torres said. “I tell her to be confident in her decision-making and that’s one of the things that she’s done well for us throughout the year.”

Alvarez’s defense and the Lady Chargers’ penchant for forcing turnovers forced Los Fresnos to settle for long jumpers and inhibited Los Fresnos’ chances of maximizing its size advantages by keeping them out of the paint.

“(Alvarez and Parchmont) don’t always score points but they do little things that make a difference,” Torres said. “(Alvarez) got a steal when we needed it; she controlled the tempo when we needed it. Having her IQ on the court is a real benefit.”

After a 3-ball from Jasmin Garcia and buckets from Gallardo and Victoria Hernandez, the Lady Falcons pulled back within four points and trailed 26-22 at the end of the third quarter.

Garza continued to find her groove, hitting a wide-open three from the left elbow to put the Lady Chargers up 31-22 with six minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

Sarahi Jones found Gio Godoy in the paint for a bucket that brought Los Fresnos within four at 31-27, but Alyssa Esquivel converted a shot from close range at the other end to put Brownsville Veterans ahead 33-27.

Jones drove to the basket and drew a foul with 45 seconds to play in the fourth quarter to pull the Lady Falcons within four at 33-29, but they did not manage to draw any closer.

By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

LOS FRESNOS – Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s Bry Buitereira models her three-point shooting form after Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry.

The sophomore paid tribute to her idol with 14 points and four 3-pointers to lead the Lady Chargers to a 50-21 victory during the final game of pool play Friday afternoon at the Los Fresnos Holiday Tournament.

“We had been struggling with our outside shots,” Brownsville Veterans coach Arnold Torres said. “I think starting off well gave the girls confidence, because we had been a little timid in our last few games. That (good) early start always gives us a little confidence and transfers over to the defense.”

Lizzy Garza added 13 points for Brownsville Veterans, eight of which came during the first quarter. Buitereira knocked down a corner 3 for the game’s first basket, and the Lady Chargers led 7-2 after a steal and a layup from Garza.

Buitereira buried another 3 from the top of the key with a minute and a half to go in the first quarter to give the Lady Chargers a 16-7 lead. She also beat the buzzer on a coast-to-coast layup off the glass to give Brownsville Veterans a 20-7 advantage at the end of the first period.

“It’s hard coming back from break with conditioning and all that,” Buitereira said. “Just working on those shots in practice makes a big difference.”

Alex Parchmont hit a corner 3 with 6:30 to play in the second quarter to provide the Lady Chargers with a 20-point cushion, up 27-7.

Ayisha Andrews scored Rio Hondo’s first points of the second quarter with a layup at the 3:30 mark.

Buitereira’s third triple came with 2:54 remaining in the half to put the Lady Chargers ahead 32-9. She swished a wide-open corner trey with 45 seconds left that sent Brownsville Veterans into the locker room with a 35-10 lead at the end of the first half.

Jazaline Ayala (five points) drilled a deep 3 for Rio Hondo that brought the score to 40-17 with 3:45 to play in the third quarter.

Shortly thereafter, point guard Juju Alvarez – normally the distributor for the Lady Chargers – got in on the action due to a series of nifty passes. She splashed a triple of her own that brought the lead to 43-17.

Buitereira’s court vision was also on display in the third quarter, turning down an open look from behind the arc for an assist to Alyssa Esquivel (eight points) under the basket.

“One of the things that we try to emphasize every time is that they make that extra pass,” Torres said. “I always like to make sure they understand that making that extra pass is better team.”

The Lady Chargers led 45-19 at the end of the third quarter, the most competitive period for the Lady Bobcats. Brownsville Veterans outscored Rio Hondo 10-9 in the period.

HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT ROUNDUP

Host Los Fresnos, Harlingen South, and Brownsville Veterans all finished 2-0 on the day to earn places in the Platinum pool. Rio Hondo, PSJA High, and PSJA North split their pool play matchups to qualify for the Gold pool and Brownsville Jubilee, La Feria, and Mission IDEA North were sorted into the Silver pool.

Los Fresnos and Harlingen South are set to tip off today at 9 a.m. in the dome, and La Feria and Brownsville Jubilee will play at 9 a.m. in the back gym.

The Lady Titans will play Mission IDEA North at 10:30 a.m. in the back gym.

Harlingen South and Brownsville Veterans are slated to duel at noon in the dome, and Rio Hondo and PSJA High will tip off at noon in the back gym.

The Lionettes’ final game of the day will be against Mission IDEA North at 1:30 p.m. in the dome, and the Lady Bobcats will square off with PSJA North at 1:30 p.m. in the back gym.

The final game of the tournament will be host Los Fresnos against Brownsville Veterans at 3 p.m. in the dome.

By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

East Valley girls basketball fans will be able to get their post-holiday hoops fix with a pair of tournaments beginning today in Los Fresnos and Lyford.

The Los Fresnos Holiday Hoops tournament tips off at 9 a.m. at the Los Fresnos United dome, when the Lady Falcons take on the La Feria Lionettes. Rounding out Pool A will be PSJA High, which plays Los Fresnos at 10:45 a.m. and La Feria at 1:30 p.m. in the dome.

Pool B contains Harlingen South, Brownsville Jubilee, and PSJA North. The Lady Hawks are slated to play the Lady Titans at 9 a.m. in the back gym and Harlingen South will face the Lady Raiders at noon in the dome. Jubilee and PSJA North will play at 1:30 p.m. in the back gym.

In Pool C, Brownsville Veterans Memorial will open against Mission IDEA North at 10:30 a.m. in the back gym. Rio Hondo’s first game of pool play is at noon against Mission IDEA North in the back gym, and the Lady Chargers and Lady Bobcats will compete in the final pool play game of the day at 3 p.m. in the dome.

The three pools will be re-sorted into Platinum (for the top finisher each pool), Gold (second place), and Silver pools (third place) on Saturday, where nine games are scheduled to start between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

In the Lyford Holiday Classic, Port Isabel and Donna IDEA will tip off at 9 a.m. in the Veterans Gym and Santa Maria and Brownsville IDEA Frontier will tip off at 9 a.m. from the Memorial Gym.

At 10:30 a.m. in the Veterans Gym, Kingsville King is scheduled to play La Villa, while the host Lady Bulldogs are set to face Alamo IDEA at 10:30 a.m. in the Memorial Gym.

Semifinal games are slated for 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the Memorial gym. Saturday’s championship game is set for 4:30 p.m.

STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

PORT ISABEL — Where Dennis Lozano set up shop on the court didn’t seem to matter.

The Port Isabel senior guard made three 3-pointers during the first half and five total — often from well beyond the arc — to lead his team with 21 points in the Tarpons’ 98-51 win over La Villa on Tuesday night.

Lozano helped spark the home team to a 13-4 run after knocking down his first triple with 4:39 to go during the first quarter.

“He had the hot hand early,” Tarpons coach Mike Hazelton said. “He gets that way, he can shoot the ball. (Our starting five), all five of those guys can (score) from inside or outside.”

Port Isabel scored at will with its outside shooting and got easy baskets in the paint in transition, as Jason Lowe (eight points) finished a fastbreak with a dunk that gave Port Isabel a 20-7 lead with two minutes to go in the period.

Lozano knocked down a 3 at the buzzer to lift the Tarpons to a 49-23 lead at halftime.

After he drained another jumper from downtown, Port Isabel led 54-23 with six minutes remaining in the third quarter. Junior Cole Pinkerton’s trey from the left elbow gave the Tarpons a 40-point cushion with just less than three minutes to play during the third quarter. Pinkerton (16 points) and Lozano each made two 3s in the period, in which Port Isabel outscored La Villa 29-12.

Kaiden Martinez, a sophomore in the midst of his first varsity season, had 14 points, including two 3s for six of the eight points he scored during the fourth quarter.

Hazelton said he only had nine players in uniform for Tuesday’s game, and that he was easing some players who had come over from the Tarpons’ football team into the flow of basketball season.

The Herald’s reigning All-Metro offensive player of the year, Daniel Rinza Jr., finished with 18 points for Port Isabel.

“We have some weapons. … When they can get it going,” Hazelton said, adding that he has been looking for his squad to score more consistently.

Kris Cardoza had six points for the Cardinals.

Next up for the Tarpons is a visit to Lyford at 8 p.m. Friday. La Villa is scheduled to play at Macedonian Christian at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

LOS FRESNOS — Ricky Altamirano scored 14 points and Gerry Martinez added 12 points for Los Fresnos on his way to being named the Tournament of Champions’ most valuable player, as the Falcons defeated San Antonio Reagan 55-45 on Saturday at the Los Fresnos United basketball dome.

Earlier, in their semifinal, the Falcons dispatched Houston Strake Jesuit 59-35, and Martinez scored 24 points to lead the home team. Altamirano and Elian Gonzalez were named to the all-tournament team for Los Fresnos.

“ It’s no secret, everybody knows Gerry can score the basketball,” Los Fresnos coach Marco Hinojosa said. “He’s a natural-born killer. He’s got ice in his veins. He loves the big stage.”

Hinojosa noted that Reagan paid special attention to the freshman sharpshooter and attempted to deny him the ball at every opportunity, with little success.

Reagan reached the title game with a 57-52 win over Euless Trinity. The Rattlers opened game on 5-0 run, which was broken after a steal and split trip to the line by Los Fresnos’ Altamirano. The Falcons trailed 15-9 after the first quarter, as Reagan’s Keith Davis made two 3-pointers for six of his seven points in the period.

Elian Gonzalez scored Los Fresnos’ first five points of the second quarter, including a 3 that made the score 15-14 in favor of Reagan at the 7:02 mark and ignited the home crowd.

Martinez drew a shooting foul, and made a layup and the ensuing free throw to give Los Fresnos its first lead of the night, 17-15, with 5:58 to play in the second quarter. The Rattlers never led again, and the Falcons opened a 26-19 lead at the end of the first half as Altamirano and Martinez combined for 12 points to outscore Reagan 17-4 in the period.

“ My teammates do a really good job of respecting me and getting me the ball as a freshman,” Martinez said. “I’m just trying to play my hardest for these seniors.”

Reagan climbed back into striking distance during the second half, as center Will Karsten tacked on six of his 10 points in the third quarter and a last-second bucket from Zach Lee kept the Rattlers within three points at 35-32 with eight minutes to go in the game.

During the fourth quarter, the Falcons went 11-for-15 from the free-throw line. After Tony Aldrighetti’s second perfect trip to the line, Los Fresnos led by 12 with less than three and a half minutes left. Aldrighetti and Luis Gonzalez each had five points in the fourth quarter, and Elian Gonzalez had six for the Falcons.

Los Fresnos’ consistency from the line proved to be a difference-maker, as the Issac Ferguson hit two treys for Reagan and the Rattlers rallied back to within seven points. But Reagan was unable to come up with a turnover or a stop during the final minute, and resorted to deciding the game at the foul line.

The Falcons went 4-0 during the three-day tournament to earn the right to take home the first-place trophy on their home floor, and they relied on contributions from different players to clinch each victory.

“ Whoever has the hot hand, we give them the ball,” Altamirano said. “That’s how we play, so we just take advantage of what’s going on at the moment.

“ We were very humbled throughout (the tournament). We just knew we had to come in and play our style of ball. It was fun to watch us play and for us to play together. I enjoyed every second of it.”

By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer

LOS FRESNOS – Los Fresnos forward Elian Gonzalez had himself quite a day at the Tournament of Champions on Friday at the Los Fresnos United dome.

The senior celebrated his birthday and scored 16 points for the Falcons en route to a 63-46 win over Round Rock High in their quarterfinal matchup.

Among the many highlights for Los Fresnos on Friday were give-and-go plays between Luis Gonzalez and Elian Gonzalez which helped Los Fresnos outrun Round Rock in transition.

Before that, though, Los Fresnos coach Marco Hinojosa wasn’t liking what he saw from his team in the early stages of the first quarter, so he called for a timeout.

“We were I guess scared, I don’t know what it was,” Los Fresnos coach Marco Hinojosa said. “After that, the ball started moving, we started attacking (their) hips, moving the basketball, and it was a thing of beauty. When the ball moves and it doesn’t stick, that’s a beautiful thing, and that’s when this team’s at its best.”

The Falcons trailed late in the first quarter, but Gerry Martinez (the team’s leading scorer with 17 points) knocked down a corner three for Los Fresnos with 2:05 to go and cut the Dragons’ lead to 11-10, and on the next possession, he hit a transition three from the right elbow with 1:32 to go to give Los Fresnos its first lead of the game at 13-11.

A long outlet pass from Martinez to Elian Gonzalez, a cornerback on the Falcon football team, gave Los Fresnos a 15-13 as Gonzalez laid the ball in off the glass the first quarter buzzer sounded.

Elian Gonzalez knocked down two three-pointers for six of his eight second quarter points. The other two came after he poked the ball away from Round Rock’s Daveyon Finch with 4:15 to go in the period. After absorbing contact from Finch and making a contested layup, he flexed his muscles in celebration of the bucket that put Los Fresnos up 29-24.

“I like bringing energy to the team and pumping everyone up,” Gonzalez said. “Not only do I feel it, but the whole team can feel it and they start heating up.”

Gerry Martinez drained a deep three-pointer to give the Falcons a 32-24 lead with 3:20 to go, and Altamirano forced a turnover and followed with a breakaway layup to go up 34-24.

Los Fresnos took a 37-30 advantage into the halftime break, and the Falcons blew the game open with an 17-4 third quarter.

Seth Ford and Jack Peterson each had eight points for the Dragons.

“It was a tough, hard win,” Hinojosa said. “But we’ll take it.”

Houston Strake Jesuit 63, Harlingen High 52

Harlingen High made each quarter of its game against Houston Strake Jesuit a close fight, but the Cardinals ultimately were outdone by the Fighting Crusaders in their quarterfinal contest.

After trailing 10-3 to start the game, Mike Vasquez made a layup that narrowed the margin to one, and he came up with a block that led to a bucket and capped a 10-0 Harlingen High run.

The Cardinals trailed by four at the half and seven at the end of the third quarter, but were unable to break through.

Eric Quilantan led Harlingen High with 13 points, and Luke Thorburn had 15 to lead Strake Jesuit.

Euless Trinity 68, McAllen Rowe 46

Tavares James had 12 points for Euless Trinity in their quarterfinal victory over McAllen Rowe. Dunk contest participants Stephon Flournoy and Kenyon Williams combined for five points.

Louie Yebra posted 15 points and Darrin Everage recorded 10 points for the Warriors.

San Antonio Reagan 63, Edinburg Vela 38

Will Karsten scored 20 points for San Antonio Reagan as the Rattlers defeated Edinburg Vela to advance to the semifinal round against Euless Trinity.

Bobby Espericueta had nine points to lead the Sabercats.

Dragons sweep skills competitions

Round Rock sophomore Reese Miller won the three-point shootout with a first-round score of 16 and second-round score of 20. Los Fresnos’ Gerry Martinez and Harlingen High’s Ashton Adams also participated in the event.

The Dragons’ Jaelyn Brooks, also a sophomore, was one point short of earning a perfect score from all three judges in both rounds, earning a total score of 59 to become the dunk contest champion.

Los Fresnos’ Ricky Altamirano was the lone East Valley entrant in the dunk contest, and earned a score of 23 on his second dunk attempt.